Fill and discharge valve for lique



W. E. FILL AND DISCHARGE VALVE FOR LIQUEFIED MCCABE, JR

HYDRO RBON CONTAINERS Original filed March 50, 1949 pri 29, E952 Vl ffl.FA lai.

Reissued Apr. 29, 1952 `FILL AND DISCHARGE VALVE FOR LIQUE- v 'FIED'HYDROCARBON CONTAINERS 'originalNa v'2,-,5413,e2o, datedMarehfe,1`951,:seria1 No. 84,428, MarchfSU, 1949. ApplicationforrevissueAugust 31, 1951, SeriallNo.2.445.37

(CLZ--D Matter enclosed'in'heavy brackets fappears in theoriginal'patentbut forms .no part... of .thig

9 Claims.

This invention relates to 4storage systems 'for liquid hydrocarbons, andmore particularly :to improvements in filler valves for same which servealso as withdrawal valves.

`In certain rural and other communities which are `not supplied withnatural or manufactured gas theuse of certain liquid hydrocarbons, fsuchas-propane and butane, is becoming increasingly popular for domestic andother uses. Also, it has 'beenfound that these fuels have certain advan-Itages over gasoline or similar distillates f0.1' ,use in` tractors -andthe like.

When itis desired to employ the hydrocarbons for the latter purpose, thetractor is provided with a tank for the hydrocarbon which is filledperiodically from asuitable storage tank. This storage tank may eitherbeseparate from that which stores the 'hydrocarbonfor domestic use,

-such as in a Vgas range, or the domestic use tank maybe employed `asthe storage source for the tractorif suitable'provision'bepmade towithdraw liquid therefrom. .The latter, of course, `requires specialoutlet fittings which add to the complexity of the tank.

The present invention has Afor its principal object the provision of avalve system for hydrocarbon storage tanks which permits two Wayfiowtherethrough, that is, the-tank may be filled, -.0.1

l:liquid withdrawn therefrom, `the val-ve Ysystem having all :safetyrequirementsregardless of directionof ilovv.

Another object is to provide a valve system which incorporates vanexcess fioW check valve :and check Valve in series, in which the cheek.valve-may be rendered inoperative, as such, and

CXI

the bottom of tank It.

reissue-specification; matter printed in italics indicates the additionsmadeby reissue.

i2 nller valve system which constitutesithersubject of the invention;and

Figure isa similar* view through 'anfaIternative form of valvesystem.

VReferring iin detail tothe drawing, :and mar `ticularly Figure il, .1av.conventienal .hydrocarbon .storage tank I is illustrated, .this tank:beingprofilling operation, .all of theseparta-'their` purpose,

andmanner .of operation also being fwell understood in thezart.

'I he valve, shown somewhat '.di-agrammatical-ly in Figure 13,'isprovided With :a 'valve vioodytl' having a check 'valve l5 Whichisxurgedtoward valve Vseat H'by a spring I8.. Thiswvalvemay-ibe opened by athreaded valvestem `I9, -controlled by hand Wheel 20, anysuitable-'packing 2| 'being provided which may be compressed by .a npackvnut 22.

.An excessnow check'yalve 2,3 issecured :to .va1ve body I5inranysuitable .manner,..such;asiby threaded :nti-ing A*2.4. This--valve ;is disposed on the downstream .side of `thevalve t5, -a .dip:tube 25 being connected thereto which extends :tofnear This .valve:comprises a valve stem '26 '.having Aa valvehea-d 2i Vsecured theretoat one end thereof, `the vaive head being adapted to iseat on valvevseat :28, vunder certain conditions as'will hereinafter appear.Theivalve is normally held'openby a spring :29. "The valve head isalsofprovided yWithaazsrnall bleedLl'ro-le .3,0 which lpermitsequalization :of pressure fon the upstream and downstream sides thereofunder certain conditions.

Valves of the foregoing type are Well knownin the art and operate linsuch manners-that theysare normally open to'permit flow inone-'direction-but close upon'a-reverserow Whensuchilow tends to Vexceeda certain predetermined =va1ue. Thus, they are similar to ordinary checkvalves but "dif fer. in that they vclose upon reverse flow only` afterthe rate of such flow has'reachedi'the lziarticular -valuefor which theyare Iset, whereas the-ordinary check valve tends to close upon anyreverse flow. After a valve of this type has closed inresponse to anexcess reverse ow there is a small amount of leakage through the bleedhole 35). After any valve upstream, such as valve I6, has -been closedleakage will continue to occur until the pressure between such upstreamvalve and the excess flow valve is the same as tank pressure after whichthe excess valve will open in response to the urge of its spring.

In Figure 2 is shown an alternative form of the invention, the essentialdifference between the construction previously described, being thatvalve body lia has a side opening 3|, as shown in Figure 3. The shape ofthe valve and seat differs slightly, also, but is of no materialimportance and any suitable type of check valve may be employed ineither of the constructions.

The manner of operation of both of the embodi ments shown in Figures 2and 3 is identical and will now be described. Assuming that it isdesired to fill tank I with 'a hydrocarbon such as propane or butane, asuitable conduit 32 is connected to valve I5 (or 15a) with valve stem I9in a position such that check valve IE (or IBa) is on its seat, theconduit being connected to a source of supply which will usually be alarge tank mounted on a truck. A valve at the truck is then opened todeliver the hydrocarbonto tank i0, the pressure in thesupply line beinggreater than in the tank l0. In event the lling conduit, which isusually a hose, should rupture while the tank is being filled checkvalve I6 will automatically close preventing loss of the hydrocarbonfrom tank I0, which is normally under considerable pressure.

Assuming now that it is desired to remove some of the hydrocarbon fromtank I0 to fill a tank 33 which may be on a tractor, or the like, thetractor is driven to a. point near tank I0 and the two tanks areconnected by a suitable conduit 32 and vent 34 opened reducing thepressure in tank 33 to a value below the pressure in tank Ill. Checkvalve I6 (or I 6a) is now moved away from its seat by hand wheel 20. Thehydrocarbon then flows from tank I0 to tank 33. If the conduit shouldrupture during this operation, the excess flow check valve willautomatically close thus preventing loss of the hydrocarbon. Theoperator will then permit the check valve I6 to return to its seat bymanipulation of the handwheel 20. The pressure will then equalize on thetwo sides of the excess flow valve through vent 3U, as explainedpreviously, after which such valve returns to its normally openposition. The valves then remain in this position until filling isresumed.

It is to be observed that theexcess flow valve is disposed within thetank. This is essential to meet certain safety codes Vso that if thevalve l5 should be broken from the tank the excess flow valve will closeto preventV loss of the hydrocarbon. In some installations, the fillvalve, which is usually an ordinary globe, valve or the like, isprovided with a weakened portion so that it may be broken off withoutrupturing any portion of the fill system downstream thereof. It isapparent that this type of construction may be employed in the presentinvention, if so desired.

This invention is to be distinguished from any prior art whereinseparate filling and removing means are supplied on the tank. So far asis known, no prior art filling device may be employed ,both to fill andremove the hydrocarbon and still have the required safety featuresduring filling andr removal of the hydrocarbon.. With the constructionof the present invention a ing means.

single valve system is provided which fits intothe same tank fittingformerly occupied by the filling valve. This construction is simplerthan one in which separate supply and discharge means are provided andalso eliminates any changes in the tank construction since the devicemay be installed in the same place occupied by the present fill- Whilethe invention has been disclosed for use with liquified hydrocarbons itwill become apparent that the valve system may be employed with otherliquifled gas containers such as anhydrous ammonia, or otherrefrigerants.

I claim:

1. A safety fill and drain device for storage tanks for liquiiied gases,comprising; a conduit having one end adapted to extend below the surfaceof liquid in the tank, a, normally open excess flow valve in series withthe other end of the conduit, a valve body having a normally closedcheck valve therein in series with the excess flow valve, a ll and drainconduit, such as a hose, in series with the check valve adapted to bedetachably connected thereto, and means carried by said body and movablebetween inoperative and operative positions for selectively operatingthc check valve to hold it open, said means being operable independentlyof the attachment of the conduit to the check valve, the constructionand arrangement being such that when said means is in inoperativeposition the check valve is automatically opened during filling of thetank from a source of liquid supply and automatically closes when thepressure in the tank exceeds the pres,- sure in the second namedconduit, and the excess flow valve closes when reverse flow therethroughexceeds a predetermined rate when said means is in operative positionand the check valve is held open thereby, whereby the first namedconduit may be employed to ll the tank or drain it, and flowtherethrough will be discontinued ii the second named conduit shouldrupture during filling of the tank o-r draining it.

2. A storage system for liquied gases, comprising; a tank for containingthe gas, a dip tube having one end disposed below the surface of liquidin the tank, a normally open excess iiow valve in series with the otherend of the dip tube, a valve body having a normally closed check valvetherein in series with the excess flow valve, a fill and drain conduitin series with the check valve adapted to be detachably connectedthereto, and means carried by said body and movable between inoperativeand operative positions for selectively operating the check valve tohold it open, said means being operable independently of the attachmentof the conduit to the check valve, the construction and arrangementbeing such that when said means is in inoperative position the checkvalve is automatically opened during filling of the tank from a sourceof liquid supply and automatically closes when the pressure in the tankexceeds the pressure in the conduit, and the excess flow valve closeswhen reverse flow therethrough exceeds a predetermined rate when saidmeans is in operative position and the check valve is held open thereby,whereby the dip tube may be employed to ll the tank or drain it, andflow therethrough will be discontinued if said conduit should ruptureduring filling of the tank or draining it.

3. In a tank for storing liquied gases of the type provided with asingle opening therein for receiving means for filling the tank, theimprovement which comprises a replacement device for said filling meanscomprising means secured t0 Said Opening, said means including a diptube having one end disposed below the surface of liquid in the tank, anormally open excess flo-w valve in series with the other end of the diptube, a valve body having a normally closed check valve therein inseries with the excess ilow valve, a ll and drain conduit in series withthe check valve adapted to be detachably connected thereto, and meanscarried by said body and movable between inoperative and operativepositions for operating the check valve to hold it open, said meansbeing operable independently of the attachment of the conduit to thecheck valve, the construction and arrangement being such that when saidmeans is in inoperative position the check valve is automatlcally openedduring lling of the tank from a source of liquid supply andautomatically closes when the pressure in the tank exceeds the pressurein the conduit, and the excess flow valve closes when reverse owtherethrough exceeds a predetermined rate when said means is inoperative position and the check valve is held open thereby, whereby thedip tube may be employed to fill the tank or drain it, and flowtherethrough willA be discontinued ii' said conduit should ruptureduring filling of the tank or draining it.

4. Safety fill and drain apparatus for tanks containing liquiiied gases,comprising; a single iill and drain tube having one end adapted toextend below thesurface of liquid in the tank, a fill and drain valvesystem having a normally closed check valve in communication with theother end of said tube adapted to automatically open during filling ofthe tank and automatically close when the pressure in the tank exceedsthe pressure in a conduit connected to a filling source, and a normallyopen excess iiow valve in communication with said other end of the tubeadapted to close during draining of the tank when reverse iiow throughthe tube exceeds a predetermined rate, a drain conduit, such as a hose,adapted to be detachably connected to the valve system, the excess flowvalve being interposed between said conduit and said tube, and meanscarried by the valve system, independent of the hose, and operableindependent of the attachment of the drain conduit to the valve systemfor establishing communication from said tube, through the excess flowvalve. and to the drain conduit, whereby the single tube may serve tonil and drain the tank and flow therethrough will be discontinued if aconduit connected to the valve system should rupture during iilling ordraining.

5. In a tank for storing liquiled gases of the type provided with asingle opening therein for receiving means for filling the tank, theimprovement which comprises; a device for said lling means comprisingmeans secured to said opening adapted to fill and drain the tank, saidmeans including a dip tube secured to the opening and having one end'extending below the liquid level in the tank, a ll and drain valvesystem having a normally closed check valve in communication with theother end of said tube adapted to automatically open during lling of thetank and automatically close when the pressure in the tank exceeds thepressure in a conduit connected to a filling source, and a normally openexcess ow valve in communication with said other end of the tube adaptedto close during draining of the tank when reverse ow through the tubeexceeds a predetermined rate, a drain conduit, such as a hose, adaptedto be detachably connected to the valve system, the excess ow Valvebeing interposed between said conduit and said tube, and means carriedby the valve system. independent ci said conduit. andoperableindependent of the attachment of said conduit to the valvesystem for establishing communication from said tube, through the excessfiow valve, and to said conduit, whereby the single tube may serve toiill and drain the tank and ilow therethrough will be discontinued if aconduit connected to the valve system should rupture during iling ordraining.

6. A device in accordance with claim 5 wherein said last named meansv isprovided with internally threaded openings at its ends.

7. A device in accordance with claim 5 wherein said last named means isconstructed to form a normally permanent part of the system at all timesduring both filling and draining of the tank and includes a manuallyoperable valve actuating member movably carried thereby disposed betweenits ends.

8. A device in accordance with claim 7 wherein the manually operablevalve actuating member includes a rotatable portion.

9. A device in accordance with claim 8 where-y in said rotatable portionis disposed on a threaded stem adapted to bodily move axially asA thestem rotates.

WILLIAM E. McCABE, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are ci' record in the file ofthis patent or the original patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 788,985 Youtz May 2, 19052,179,144 Buttner Nov. 7, 1939 2,194,501 Hooper et al. -.--r Mar. 26,1940 2,326,187 White Aug. 10, 1943

